A Virgin for the Rakish Marquess (In War and Love #3)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Crackling Fire

D iana could not have thought of a better place in the world. This, this cozy room right here, filled with books, warmed by the hearth, lit by candles, the moonlight pouring in through the big glass windows… She knew that this room would forever hold a special place in her heart.

She was almost floating as James kissed her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone. His adept fingers moved unhurriedly as if he had all the time in the world. Then, she felt her gown pool around her waist, leaving only her fine chemise, which suddenly felt too sheer, too fragile under his gaze. She moved on pure instinct to cover herself, but James wouldn’t have it.

“My flower, didn’t you say you are mine? All of you.” His voice dropped to a soft, silky purr that wrapped around her.

“James,” was all she could utter.

Her senses abandoned her because other than his name, nothing came when she saw the way his eyes darkened as he took her in.

His only response was to take her hands and kiss her when her pulse hammered in her wrists. Then, he claimed her lips in soft, light kisses meant to make her melt into him. His fingers traced a slow, reverent path along the neckline of her chemise, his breath hitching slightly.

One small tug and she felt the sheer fabric slide off her shoulders, brushing her stiff nipples as it fell to the floor. Diana gasped at the feather-light touch.

“Utterly—” James kissed her lips—“devastatingly.” He licked the sweat on her neck. “Perfect.”

He grabbed her in a way that he never had before. As if his self-control had shattered and he had unleashed himself on her, barely registering what was happening in his body.

Diana felt a rush of power. She was making this man, this magnificent man, lose the last shreds of his logic, and she was intoxicated by that knowledge.

With a swift move, he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist, his mouth crashing onto hers. The fact that she was naked and he was fully clothed made her feel so deliciously wicked.

Her fingers slid up his neck, through his hair, and she leaned into the kiss with fervor. More now than ever, she could feel his hardness, what she was doing to him.

He lowered her onto a comfortable armchair, the plush velvet beneath her back a stark contrast to the way he felt against her. He leaned back, and Diana swallowed.

In the flickering light from the fireplace, she was bare to him. Yet, she didn’t feel exposed. She felt cherished as he drank her in hungrily, as if she was his only sustenance. She saw it as clear as day, the one thing he had denied her fearful heart.

He loved her. And he wanted her. Only her.

“Christ, Diana,” he growled.

His eyes wandered down her heaving chest, her heavy breasts, her smooth belly, her mound, where she was so ready for him. His eyes devoured her, the look in them palpable as if he was touching her. And she longed for him to touch her.

“James, please,” she moaned softly.

His eyes snapped to hers. Predatory, dangerous, greedy. One word from her and he would eat her whole. She longed for nothing else.

“Please, touch me!”

He growled again, a warning and a promise at the same time.

“I won’t stop, Diana. If I touch you now, you will truly be mine.”

“Don’t stop. I am already truly yours in all the ways that matter.”

Silence. A pause in this heated, heavy moment.

She spoke the truth. Giving her body was easy. But truly giving her heart and soul? That was special. And suddenly she could see that he saw it too. His eyes were still dark with hunger, but now they held something more profound. He was hers in all the ways that truly mattered.

“Is it true, Diana?” His voice softened just a little. “Are you really mine? Forever?”

She smiled and nodded.

He, too, smiled softly, before he leaned in, his massive body covering hers till he reached her lips. He placed one soft kiss there—a promise, a vow—then another as his hands found her waist. Another as her nails grazed his back. One more as he licked her lips. Again as their tongues met. Then, they fell. There was no going back.

With quick moves, he bared his chest, and Diana’s hands rose to it on instinct. He hissed at the contact as he kissed her neck, nipping it softly. His lips and fingers followed opposite paths. He moved down so that her breasts were level with his chest and slowly kissed his way to them. At the same time, his hands rubbed small circles on her ankles, then slid up her calves, the sensitive skin behind her knees, and her smooth thighs.

She was so overwhelmed with sensations that she gasped when she felt his wet mouth on her breasts, licking and teasing. She arched into him, knowing where his touch could lead, the end she was craving.

He didn’t let her recover, his fingers grazing the inside of her thighs, making their way up, closer to her core.

“Easy, my flower,” he murmured, his lips grazing the sensitive swell of her breasts. “I want to savor you.”

Diana shuddered as his fingers traveled higher, just barely brushing where she ached for him the most. A helpless sound escaped her lips, half plea, half surrender. He groaned in response, his warm breath fanning her skin.

“So soft,” he whispered. “So ready for me.”

“Ah!”

All coherent thoughts flew out of her mind when he touched her there in a deliberate, lazy way meant to unravel her. He pulled back and looked down at her, but she could barely focus as he kept touching her, circling and stroking. She was like the string of a bow, ready to snap, but he wouldn’t allow it.

“James, just… more!”

He bit an erect nipple, and she almost screamed. Her nails dug into his shoulders, sure that she would soar high if she didn’t ground herself somehow.

“Look at me, Diana,” he commanded softly. “I want to see you unravel.”

Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with pleasure. She barely had a moment to breathe before he pressed deeper.

Their gazes locked as his fingers explored her, pushed more, and he looked on the verge of something dangerous.

“James!”

“You are amazing,” he purred.

Her thighs clenched around his hand, a sob tearing from her throat. A tingling feeling swelled inside her like a wave. Then, it stopped.

“No!” she wailed.

“I can’t hold back anymore, Diana,” he muttered, his voice rough.

His hands made quick work of his breeches, baring him but not completely—he was too impatient to do this properly. He moved closer, his hardness at her entrance.

His breathing was labored, his body taut with restraint. He hovered over her, his eyes taking in every inch of her bare skin, his hands trembling as they hovered just above her.

“Diana, if you tell me to stop, I will stop,” he grunted.

“Don’t. I want this.” She moved a fraction, just to feel him.

He swallowed hard, his gaze softening, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“This might hurt a bit, my flower,” he cooed. “I will be gentle, I promise. Just trust me.”

“I do. I trust you.”

And with that, he positioned himself carefully, the tip of his length prodding her entrance. Diana’s breath hitched, and she instinctively tensed up for a moment, but his hands immediately moved to soothe her, caressing her in a way that made her melt.

“Relax, my love. Just breathe for me,” he said tenderly, peppering kisses on the corner of her mouth.

Diana exhaled deeply, and that was when he pushed forward cautiously. She felt a pang of discomfort, but he was there, his lips over hers and his eyes locked onto hers. Her need overwhelmed her fear once more, her love for him dominating everything. The sensation was unfamiliar but also incredible, carrying the whisper of a promise. The promise of utter bliss.

“James, please,” she whispered.

“Remember, my flower,” he moaned in her ear. “I am the one doing the begging here.”

She felt all of what they had been, all of what they were, all of what they would be. She let go of her hesitation, surrendering to him completely, trusting him with her body, her heart. And with a slow, deliberate thrust, he entered her fully.

“Ah!” She bit her lip.

It was not pain, not exactly. Not as she had expected. She felt him stretch her in a way that bordered on pleasurable.

James didn’t move for a while. He kissed her forehead, her cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist, caressing her back softly. His other arm supported his weight as his fingers played with her curls.

But Diana wanted, needed him to move.

“James, I just need…”

He didn’t let her finish. He moved inside her, slowly at first, letting her adjust to the feel of him inside her, the feel of them becoming one.

“Oh!” It was like seeing light for the first time.

Her body was on fire as he moved oh so gently, oh so reverently. If she felt a wave before, now she was drowning in emotions that she could hardly contain. She could hear herself panting and calling out his name, but she barely recognized her own voice.

“God, you’re perfect,” he groaned, his voice low.

Diana struggled to focus on him and was floored to find him so overtaken by the same emotions that overpowered her. His handsome face was so tight and relaxed at the same time, his body shaking and so in control. His hands were everywhere, as if he would be one with her if he tried hard enough.

She, too, sought to mold herself to him. But then he quickened his thrusts, and she felt that rising pressure in her core. He was still tender, but his moves became more urgent, more purposeful, bordering on wild.

A savage sound tore from his throat. His forehead dropped to hers, and he bit his lip. Seeing him so out of control, Diana felt herself budding, opening fully to him.

“James,” she breathed, her voice full of wonder, full of need. “I?—”

“Let go, Diana,” he murmured, his lips brushing hers in a sweet, desperate kiss. “I’m here. Right here.”

His moves became more erratic, more fierce, forceful. He adjusted his position, his hands on her waist holding her tight. He threw his head back in a moment of surrender before he looked down at her with all that he was, no walls.

It was all Diana could take.

The surge of ecstasy that crashed over her was unlike anything she had ever felt. Intense, all-consuming, and sweet. Her body tightened around him, and she gasped as the world around her faded away. All that was left was him and the heat of their connection.

Her body was still shuddering when she felt him give one last deep thrust, and his body tensed above hers. She heard him mutter her name, his grip on her tightening as he let go, his release filling her.

“Mine,” he moaned.

They stilled, catching their breath and their sanity. Their breaths mingled, their bodies still locked in the aftermath of what they had just shared. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting golden light over their tangled limbs.

James pulled away first, worried that he was crushing her with his weight. He smiled as he tucked a sweat-damp curl behind her ear. She smiled back.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I do not think I have ever felt better.”

He leaned in and took her lips in a soft, sweet, devastating kiss. She let out a long, blissful sigh, stretching lazily beneath him, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

“You know,” she mused, her voice still a little breathy, “I wonder what Epicurus would say about all of this.”

He chuckled as he rose, only to sit on the armchair and cradle her in his arms.

“I think he would be thrilled, seeing how diligent we were in the pursuit of pleasure.”

She laughed, a sound so light and utterly carefree that made him stare. Something in her chest swelled at the sight of him like this, relaxed and truly happy.

Then, he laughed, too.

She turned her head to look up at him, frowning. “Why are you laughing?”

He let out a slow, satisfied sigh, amusement glinting in his blue eyes. “I was just thinking how wrong your brother was.”

“About what?” She arched an eyebrow.

James smirked, brushing his knuckles over her cheek. “He was convinced we would be over after our five promenades.”

“James!” Diana gasped, swatting at his chest.

“What?” He caught her hand and kissed it lazily. “On the other hand, he was terrified I’d corrupt you.” His eyes gleamed wickedly as he tugged her closer. “And there, my love, he was on point.”

“You are impossible.” Diana let out a scandalized laugh, burying her face in his chest.

“And yet you love me.”

“I do.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He looked at her with absolute adoration. She felt need pool in the pit of her stomach, and she glanced at his lips, ready to?—

He got up suddenly and lowered her onto her feet, before gathering her clothes.

“Let’s go!” he said.

“Why the sudden hurry?” She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “And where exactly are we going?”

James saw the lustful look in her eyes and smirked, earning himself a raised eyebrow.

“To ask your brother for your hand, so I can thoroughly corrupt you, My Lady.”